Prague - Day 4
Today started around 10:30 with a quick walk to the tram, and a ride back up to Prague castle to catch a couple of sites I missed on Monday. The first was the Loretta church just outside of the Castle. This is apparently a major Czech pilgrimage site, owing to the presence of a couple of boards from Mary's house (don't ask me). It's also, apparently the typical local kick off site for the trip to Santiago de Compostela. The church also has a treasury full of silver and gold worship objects (one communion wafer holder with lots and lots of diamonds). The next stop was a gallery of Czech Baroque art (nothing that particularly jumped out at me).
From there, back down the hill to the church of Saint Nicholas, the central church in the "Mala Strana", the small quarter under the castle. A quick walk over to a convent with an infant Jesus statue with some history behind it, an then backtrack for lunch in the square under St. Nicholas. Lunch was goulash and a beer, quite good.
Another hike about halfway up the hill to get to the Lobckowicz palace, inside the very bottom of the castle walls. This is a palace with an art collection that was confiscated by the Nazis, and then counter confiscated by the Soviets, but reclaimed after the Velvet Revolution. Much of it has been restored thanks to donations from an American non-profit, which is pointed out several times in the included audio guide, ask about it in the gift shop (I have a sneaking suspicion the audio guides in other languages have a slightly different script). Much of the collection is family portraits, but those include some name artists. Also present are a huge early set of Delft dinnerware (200 some odd pieces, not all on display), a couple of nice Canalettos of the Thames in London, and a manuscript of a
Mozart arrangement of Handel's Messiah, and hand annotated performance scores by Beethoven (the family were patrons of both).
From there I walked down to the Charles Bridge, accidentally passing the Lennon wall in the process, an being passed by a huge convoy of Police and government cars. Once I actually got to the bridge, there was something going on with news crews walking with some people (I thought I saw an Israeli flag badge on one, but it was only a passing glimpse).
From the bridge, I stopped at the Klinetium, a former Jesuit college and observatory, now the Czech national library (beautiful library and chapel, great views from the deck of the observatory tower). It's also the site of the longest continuous temperature measurement in Eastern Europe, although it's a little suspect due to the heat island effect.
Finally back to the town square for a look inside the Tyn church, and to be in the square when the clock tower struck (6 PM). I've seen more impressive movements. Dinner was more beer and a big hunk of pork with mustard, horseradish and onions (and more beer).
Finally a quick walk to see a cubist building while I waited for an 8:00 concert in an old (beautiful trompe l'oeil ceiling) monastery. Romantic music and opera, and now I kind of want to see a full performance of Dvorak's Rusalka.
Finally back to the apartment to pack and get organized. I should be in Dresden by early afternoon tomorrow (and I have just enough Czech Crowns to get a pastry or something for breakfast).
From there, back down the hill to the church of Saint Nicholas, the central church in the "Mala Strana", the small quarter under the castle. A quick walk over to a convent with an infant Jesus statue with some history behind it, an then backtrack for lunch in the square under St. Nicholas. Lunch was goulash and a beer, quite good.
Another hike about halfway up the hill to get to the Lobckowicz palace, inside the very bottom of the castle walls. This is a palace with an art collection that was confiscated by the Nazis, and then counter confiscated by the Soviets, but reclaimed after the Velvet Revolution. Much of it has been restored thanks to donations from an American non-profit, which is pointed out several times in the included audio guide, ask about it in the gift shop (I have a sneaking suspicion the audio guides in other languages have a slightly different script). Much of the collection is family portraits, but those include some name artists. Also present are a huge early set of Delft dinnerware (200 some odd pieces, not all on display), a couple of nice Canalettos of the Thames in London, and a manuscript of a
Mozart arrangement of Handel's Messiah, and hand annotated performance scores by Beethoven (the family were patrons of both).
From there I walked down to the Charles Bridge, accidentally passing the Lennon wall in the process, an being passed by a huge convoy of Police and government cars. Once I actually got to the bridge, there was something going on with news crews walking with some people (I thought I saw an Israeli flag badge on one, but it was only a passing glimpse).
From the bridge, I stopped at the Klinetium, a former Jesuit college and observatory, now the Czech national library (beautiful library and chapel, great views from the deck of the observatory tower). It's also the site of the longest continuous temperature measurement in Eastern Europe, although it's a little suspect due to the heat island effect.
Finally back to the town square for a look inside the Tyn church, and to be in the square when the clock tower struck (6 PM). I've seen more impressive movements. Dinner was more beer and a big hunk of pork with mustard, horseradish and onions (and more beer).
Finally a quick walk to see a cubist building while I waited for an 8:00 concert in an old (beautiful trompe l'oeil ceiling) monastery. Romantic music and opera, and now I kind of want to see a full performance of Dvorak's Rusalka.
Finally back to the apartment to pack and get organized. I should be in Dresden by early afternoon tomorrow (and I have just enough Czech Crowns to get a pastry or something for breakfast).